Red currant is a certain balancing berry, which allows you to remove excess from the body, leaving only the necessary. It will be a real find for those who are watching their figure, because they contain few calories, and also have a lot of vitamin C, potassium and iron in the storerooms, which allows to regulate cardiovascular activity.
For children and adults, the berry will serve as an excellent incentive for raising appetite, it is recommended to eat with low hemoglobin. However, it should be remembered that if you have peptic ulcers of the digestive tract, then you cannot eat red currants. How to get this important and necessary berry? You can buy, but it is better to grow yourself. So, for the cause. Growing and caring for red currants for beginners.
Popular varieties of red currant
There are quite a few varieties of red currant, but we will talk about the most popular ones. Varieties are mainly distinguished by their color saturation, the size of the berries, the time they mature, and the size and shape of the leaves.
For example, the Dutch red variety came to us from Western Europe. Its bushes are small, but high enough, and the berries, when ripe, become almost brown. The shape of the leaves is similar to the narrow blades.
Another variety - early sweet, ripens quite early (in early July), has small fruits on a long stalk. The berries are very tasty and fragrant, can not fall for a long time from the bush.
Yonker van Tets variety is distinguished by large bright red berries, as well as resistance to severe frosts and fungal diseases.
In the first half of July, another variety also ripens - Konstantinovskaya, which has medium-sized berries, but it is poorly resistant to fungal diseases.
So, you can transfer for a long time. When, finally, you decide on the variety you want to plant, you need to think carefully about exactly where your currant will grow. And this will also help our advice.
It is also interesting to read about the care and planting strawberries.
Soil preparation and fertilizer for planting currants
It is best to choose an open place that is well lit, because if the light is not enough, the berries will be very sour and will not be able to gain their strength.
Also, it is necessary to take into account the nature of the soil cover. Red currant loves loose, loamy soil, with good aeration. But, if on your site, groundwater comes too close to the top layer of soil, then it is better to plant the bushes on elevations, not forgetting the drainage.
Not very fond of berries and soil with a high content of alkaline impurities, which can burn the root system and lead to the death of the plant. In the wild, red currant bushes can be found in the Urals, on the banks of the river or near the forest.
Unlike black currant, red is not so badly reacting to heat, excess light and a small drought. Red currants can be planted in the fall and in early spring, before the awakening of the kidneys.
The pit must be prepared in advance, at least one week in advance, in order for the earth to settle, and the drainage should fall into place. The pit size should be about 50 cm wide and not less than 40 cm deep. First, down the pit, we lay drainage in the form of medium-sized pebbles, followed by compost or, alternately, rotted manure with wood ash and fertile soil layer, to feed the seedling . You can add a mixture of superphosphate with potassium sulfate, in a ratio of 1: 2.
In general, red currant loves organic fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), but does not tolerate chloride fertilizers. Pay attention to this when choosing complex fertilizers.
Planting: timing, features and watering
Before planting, dip the roots in water for 2 hours, not more, because with a long stay in the water, the roots can lose potassium, which will greatly weaken the plant. You can add to the water-resistant drugs.
Since red currant has a strong root system, the roots need to be buried in the ground when planted. At the same time, do not forget to cut the weak and shorten the strong by 2 times. Moreover, the pruning spend, focusing on the kidneys, which are directed outward and upward seedling - it is from them that the new frame of your bush will grow.
It is best to plant the bushes in early September, try not to miss this time, otherwise the young growth will not have enough time to take root before the onset of winter. You should also remember to respect the distance between the bushes during planting, but it depends on the type of red currant. For small, compact bushes, a distance of 1-1.5 meters is enough, and for spreading ones - at least 1.5-2.5 meters. After planting the seedlings be sure to water them with 20-30 liters of water.
Care: watering, pruning, weed control and winterizing
Red currant bushes are garden long-livers, they live for about 15 years, but this age can be extended by rejuvenating them. For this, in autumn, the bush at the age of 8-10 years is completely cut to the ground level, leaving only young shoots, but such a bush will not yield the next spring.
The basic rule of care for currants is to prevent it from overgrowing with weeds, which has a bad effect on soil looseness at the roots. It is recommended to remove weeds manually, since the use of chemicals will have a bad effect on the yield and the quality of the fruit.
Also, do not forget to loosen the soil near the roots 2 times a year (spring and autumn) and apply fertilizer every year, as the ripening of the berries draws a lot of nutrients from the soil. Feed for the plant is not needed in the first 2 years of life, if you have correctly prepared the pit for planting. Be sure to pay attention to the development of the plant in the spring, if it is sluggish, then he especially needs feeding. It is carried out with the help of diluted manure or chicken manure.
As for watering, watering is still necessary in a drought, about 1-2 buckets of water per bush. But how to determine whether currants need watering? Very simple - dig a shovel near the bush, and if the ground below is dry, then watering is necessary. Red currant is quite resistant to cold, but still it is worth to cover it with branches or film for the winter. Although, natural protection from cold can be done at the stage of choosing a landing site. If you decide to dissolve the currant paradise, in this case it is not difficult.
You need to know how currant breeds. The most reliable way is the propagation by processes. To do this, young shoots bend to the ground in early spring so that they take root. Several times during the season, these layers need to be tucked up so that they can comfortably take root. At the end of the season, in the fall, the layers are dug and deposited in a prepared pit. Thus, it is very simple and not expensive to dilute wholesome berries.
As you can see, there is nothing supernatural in getting a healthy and tasty self-grown product. And how much can you cook culinary masterpieces? Although each hostess has her own secrets, from which both you and your family will be delighted. I wish you health, good mood and many bright impressions. From red currant, with love.
